Political alliances in Ghana: Relook at SMDP system

Ghana's electoral system is among the group called the Single Member District Plurality (SMDP) electoral system. 

This electoral system allows voters-elect one legislator in each of the districts, while electing only one President overall.

Our electoral system, however, has some grave flaws which lead to the ‘winner-takes-all’ system of governance, weakening small political parties.

In the last general election, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate got 47.2 per cent and the winner had 51.2 per cent or so.

Our electoral system expects 47.2 per cent of Ghanaians, in practice, to have no or little say in governance, while just 51.2 per cent of us pull the strings until the next election.

Not fair

Fortunately, this electoral system is also operated elsewhere, such as, the USA, to some extent, Nigeria, UK and I think, Austria.

So, we have some basis for comparison. 

The other undesirable consequences of this electoral system is that it leaves just two large parties to alternate power between themselves. Examples abound.

The Republicans and the Democrats in the US, New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the NDC, Conservatives and Labour in the UK and so on.

 The alternate to this electoral system must be the proportional representative type.

This system assures proportional distribution of governance among political parties, depending on their performances in the election.  

So that the opposition bears some responsibility, so they do not always look for the opportunity to criticise the government.

 The performance of the opposition will also be in the limelight.

The fear of the opposition sabotaging the government, therefore, will not arise.

President Akufo-Addo's idea to surrender his presidential power to choose district chief executives was a laudable one.

 Those who opposed the President's idea do not want the district elections to be based on political parties.

The idea of conducting the district level elections on partisan basis is relevant if we are to take advantage of the benefits such elections give to small and weak political parties.

As earlier mentioned, one of the weaknesses of the SMDP electoral system as practised in Ghana and elsewhere is the suppressing of small parties.

Elections at district levels, where these weak parties hold some sway, would catapult them into positions of responsibility through the holding of offices in governance, even if at district levels only.

Eventually, these small political entities would blossom into bigger parties to enhance political pluralism in Ghana.

Level

On the national level, any political party that wins in a constituency, should be given that constituency to govern.

This arrangement would prevent a Member of Parliament (MP) or DCE for example, coming from different political parties with the resulting frictions in administration.

I advocate the rewriting or amendments to our current Constitution to inculcate the proportional representation in order to end the present duopoly in our political dispensation.
Proportional representation, as a political system, would also enhance equitable distribution of national wealth.

In retrospect, it can be said that Ghanaians, like all other humans, turn to associate with institutions which first give them advantages in the form of appointments and promotions in life.

This show of loyalty applies even to the Judiciary, as well as the military, the last institutions where humans are least expected to show biases.

Politics

Politics in Ghana, through the current electoral system of SMDP, discriminates in favour of the two political parties who hitherto have been alternating political power between themselves.

The winner, under this electoral system, enjoys all the advantages in governance.

This unfair state of political dispensation can be corrected in Ghana by the adoption of the proportional representation system in elections.

Proportional representation would help small and weak parties to grow.

Changing the present Constitution is the only way to adopt proportional representation of political parties in our electoral system. 

Furthermore, the proportional representation, as an electoral system, would also enhance equitable distribution of the national cake. 

The writer is a Pilot and formerly with the Ghana Armed Forces.

E-mail: kkekrebesi @gmail.com